Tabula Rasa
by TheMorrigansCandy
Summary: "Since you are young and your mind is like a clean slate, impress on it what truly matters or it be impressed more pleasurably with images of lesser worth." - It appears that an art and jewel thief returns from a twenty year hiatus, and begins to take on the SWAT Kats. Multi-Shot.


_A/N:Hello, this is a remake of a fanfic that I had written a hundred years ago when the dinosaurs roamed the Earth. So, basically back when I was fairly new to fanfiction at the tender, over enthusiastic, and stupid age of 13. Not saying any of you who are 13 are stupid just that I was and a horrible writer, which should be expected. Hopefully, my writing ability has improved tremendously since then. I had deleted that story long ago, but I always loved the concept that I had concocted about the SWAT Kats basically getting their equivalent to Catwoman... or Batman in some cases! Ha! There has been some serious changes such as the original title had once been called... 'Kat Burglar' and the OC's personality and appearance. Ugh. Also I've made it a multi-shot. However, the main aspects of the original fanfic will remain in tact but you lot probably don't know what those are. Happy reading!_

 _ **Disclaimer!: I DON'T OWN ANY OF THE SWAT KATS CHARACTER! ALL RIGHTS GO TO HANNA-BARBERA!**_

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Tabula Rasa

A SWAT Kats Multi-shot

AKA a Revamp of a Previous Fanfic of Mine

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 **Salvage Yard**

Within the comfortable confines of Jake and Chance's apartment, both tomcats decided to eat dinner and watch some television before settling in for bed. Since Jake was dubbed "chef" for the night, Chance could already be found slouched on the couch. As the muscular kat flipped through the channels, he mused about how business had gone and then grimaced; not all that remarkable as it had been rather slow and a bit boring.

"Bon appetit!" Proclaimed Jake after he dumped two TV dinners on the coffee table. Grabbing a tray, Chance haphazardly stirred the side of mashed potatoes while Jake took the remote and switched it to the news station.

"After a twenty year hiatus, it seems Megakat City's old 'Kat Burglar' struck at the Museum of History last night." - Both the toms perked up in interest and forgot about their barely warm microwaveable food. - "He stole from the museum's new exhibit, the nine pieces of the Scratchit's Diamond. I'm here now with the night security who discovered the missing artifact," reported Kats Eye New's Ann Gora as she turned to the elderly security guard. "Sir, can you please tell us how you came about this?"

The old tom nodded to then say, "I was in the camera room watching the monitors when all of a sudden half the screens turned into white-noise. I then called the younger fellars downstairs to investigate it, but I got no response. So, I decided to check it out myself. By the time I got there, I found most of the guards knocked out and the jewels missing."

"And how did you know this was the Kat Burglar?" Asked Ann briefly.

"Well," started the old guard as he appeared to reminisce, "back in my day, the Kat Burglar never stole something without leaving his trademark signature. Most of the time it was a letter apologizing for the theft, and other times just a piece of paper with 'Kat Burglar' written all fancy. I knew that this was the Kat Burglar because he did his trademark. He left his apology letter."

Ann Gora nodded once at the elderly tom and turned back to her camera with a determined expression, "There you have it, folks. Could the Kat Burglar really have returned from his assumed retirement, or is this some kind of impersonator? Let's hope that we will solve this mystery. This is Ann Gora of Kats Eye News, signing off."

Once the commercials began airing, Jake announced, "I think I remember hearing about this guy when I was a kid."

"Yeah, and he was one bad dude the Enforcers could not catch, which is not surprising," mused Chance. "They still don't know who he is."

The smaller tom gave a slight chuckle before adding, "Probably an old timer by now."

"Think he'd still be able to tangle with us?" asked Chance with an air of smug humor.

"Hmm...who knows whether or not either youth or experience will outweigh the other." Jake said as he resumed eating his peas and carrots. Around his food he deduced, "He has to be aware of the SWAT Kats if he's already doing this."

"And the 'apology' letters," Chance scoffed, "either he's mocking the Enforcers or he wants to get caught. Heh! I say that we'll show that Kat Burglar who he is dealing with since the SWAT Kats been in town."

"Make him wish he'd stayed retired." Jake grinned confidently.

 **Three Nights Later**

 **Megakat City**

Heavy vibrations and deep beats of electronic music escaped outside a building through opened doors. A seemingly neverending line of party-goers stood outside this club and only shifted forward when the burly bouncer allowed a few entrance. Chatter ranging from high-pitch squealing to irritated grumbling mixed together as each individual focused within their own clique.

Just near the end of this line and around a corner into an alleyway, a dark figure scaled up a fire escape. Once on the roof, a black backpack dropped next to boot clad feet. Gloved fingers unzipped, pulled out a utility belt, and then proceeded to attach it around a narrow waist. Shrugging the bag back on, the kat sprinted over to the ledge away from the pouring flow of music.

Nimble feet leapt across to land skillfully upon the next building's roof. While the figure traversed about the rooftops towards their destination, a beeping went off frantically. The kat jumped to a building and swiftly hid behind a heating unit. After a slight observation of the surroundings, the beeping ceased with a simple touch to a button.

"Yeah," answered the feline.

A gravelly voice -clearly an older male kat- immediately responded, "Be extra alert, dear. The SWAT Kats' signal just went off on the radar."

Through the green-screen of the helmet, eyes gazed towards the sky. Then, "As expected. They are most likely doing a nightly patrol."

"Indeed," agreed the tomcat before signing off his communication line.

Underneath the helmet, a smirk toyed playfully on the kat's lips. To think about coming into contact with the infamous SWAT Kats both erupted a thrilled and nervous shiver. Well, wouldn't that make the night even more eventful? However, getting caught by Megakat City's vigilante duo could not happen nor was it desired. So with another cautious look about, the kat stood up and ventured to the city's most celebrated art museum.

Stopping on top of a neighboring building to the museum, the kat quickly pulled out a grappling gun from a pouch hanging on the utility belt and aimed it. The hook connected to a ledge securely. Then the feline was pulled forward when the return button was pressed and sent under the attached hook. Only having to climb up the wall to the ledge a couple feet, it took less than five minutes for the kat to clamber over the edge.

Journeying to a large glass dome located right in the middle of the roof, the feline gently peered through and took in the obstacle. Several guards were stationed in different sections. More so in the wings keeping all the more acclaimed pieces, which was the one the kat currently looked at. It took a brief walk around the dome to find a part that could be opened, if only from the inside. Then the kat removed a small cylinder device off the belt, pressed a button at the tip, and a red laser beamed out. It cut two latches on the window, causing it to swing open.

As the kat secured the grappling hook in a nook on the dome, the beeping went off. Sighing irritably, the kat swiftly pressed the communication button.

"Is something wrong?"

"It has appeared that the SWAT Kats' signal is moving in on your location," informed the older tom.

While slipping on a harness and clipping it to the grappling hook rope, the kat replies, "Do not worry. It will be quick and I'll have the painting in my hands less than five minutes."

A sigh could be heard from the other line. "I have no doubt in your abilities, but cockiness like you're displaying can be a downfall."

"Shh…" shushed the feline poised over the glass-dome's opening, "I'm trying to be stealthy."

And with that said, the kat lowered smoothly into the museum. Several moments later, the kat stopped short and took out a small spray. The spray released a mist revealing the burning red lasers scatter horizontally and vertically across the floor. Feet touched down on the marble floor before the kat unclipped from the rope. Leaving it to dangle, the feline maneuvered around and only stopping briefly to spray around to identify anymore lasers. It didn't take long for the kat to be mere inches from the targeted art piece.

Any fool wouldn't take the time to admire art if you had not seen it in person. A painting, such as the one the kat proceeded to cut from its frame, will mesmerize the viewer and could make one question their own existence. With every brush stroke or ink splatter, you take in the world another individual created. It can leave you speechless while analyzing every detail crafted. That is why, as a thief, you must always see your conquest firsthand before you decide to snatch it.

Curling the painting delicately, slipping it into a poster tube, and then the backpack, the kat placed a piece of paper snuggly in the frame. The kat tip-toed back to the rope like it was second nature. Only a few steps away did a barely noticeable squeak reach overtly sensitive ears, causing the thief to remain stationary. Right when the thief was about to glance over a shoulder, a blast fired off deafeningly. Narrowly missing a net, the kat sprung into the air; backflipping to then land gracefully on all fours in front of the assaulters. The thief looked up at the two masked toms and felt every hair bristle.

' _SWAT Kats...'_

The bigger of the two, T-Bone -the kat remembered from multiple news reports- scoffed and muttered to his partner, "Quite nimble for an old man."

In breakneck speed, the kat darted passed the SWAT Kats and down the hall in no time at all.

"And fast!" Added Razor before they gave chase. "Let's split up and catch him on both ends."

"Whatever you say, bud," T-Bone followed Razor's suggestion and went around a corner. Minutes later, Razor caught tail of the kat burglar. T-Bone seemed to jump out of nowhere, cutting off the thief's path.

"Got cha," Declared the more brawny tom, "You ain't goin' anywhere, old-timer."

As T-Bone and Razor aimed their glovatrixes, the thief surveyed for any source of escape. Muscles tensed as both the vigilantes broke some distance as they slowly advanced, and then a metaphorical shining beacon of hope, a window big enough for a slim body to fit through, wheezed above Razor's head. While keeping T-Bone in the kat burglar's peripheral vision, eyes behind the sleek helmet took in the scrawnier SWAT Kat and tried to find a weak point in his stance. There seemed to be none, but that didn't mean that one could not be made.

The thief was vaguely aware of the fact that the toms were barking demands before sprinting and pouncing towards Razor. T-Bone's "hey" from the other end of the hall went ignored when Razor dodged a kick directed at his head. He grabbed hold of the offending leg and flung the thief at the wall. Recovering swiftly, the thief caught the wall so as to not crash into it. After the thief regain footing, Razor smirked tauntingly. Accepting the challenge, the crook went in for the attack once again. However, as the thief sent a false strike towards Razor's head and the SWAT Kat blocked it, a knee jabbed the tom in the stomach in once and then twice; leaving him breathless.

Taking advantage of his vulnerable state, the kat raced toward the vent. The laser cut the metal like a hot knife through butter and popped right off. Right when crawling into the window, two strong arms crushed the thief against the barrel chest of T-Bone.

"Listen," T-Bone began as he struggled against the kat's thrashing, "You can do this the easy way or the hard wa-!"

Then the burglar went limp and slunk out of the pilot's grasp and threw a small ball towards his feet. Smoke blinded the SWAT Kats momentarily. T-Bone coughed and tried to shield his eyes. From the side, he heard Razor shout, "I'll nab him!"

"Yeah, you do that," T-Bone replied, waving his hand to try and clear the air.

Razor slipped passed the window in no time flat and searched the area for the thief. A moving shadow played along the patio, which signaled to him the culprit's location. He turn swiftly to barely catch a gray tail disappear along the roof's edge. Grabbing onto a water-vein, the SWAT clambering up the pipe within less than a few minutes.

Once atop the roof, Razor gave chase. Zeroing in on the thief sprinting across the building before coming upon the edge, Razor aimed his glovatrix and launched a net. The net latched onto the thief's torso and being caught off guard, fell off the edge of the museum. Dangling from the rope attached to the net, the thief fiercely struggled and banged against the brick wall in the attempts for freedom; panic levels began to rise.

Coming to a stop along the edge and smirking, Razor peered down at the thrashing thief. He started to pull the caught kat up slowly. For a brief moment, Razor swore that he could feel the heat culminating from the thief's glare hidden behind the emotionless helmet. Leisurely, he pulled the kat up along the building's wall.

"Didn't see that one coming, old man," He taunted. "Struggling will only make it worse. You of all people should know that."

' _Actually,'_ Razor inwardly speculated, ' _he should know. For such a seasoned thief, he certainly isn't acting like one.'_

Just as Razor drug the thief back atop the roof, the burglar cut through the net without any warning. Springing from the place of the roof-floor, the thief landed on sturdy feet. All this was performed so suddenly that before Razor could blink, he felt the heel of a boot bash against his jaw.

Somehow, the vigilante remained standing with only his head spinning and jaw screaming from pain for a hot minute. After clearing the stars from his eyes, Razor search the roof for the slippery thieving fiend. Just then T-Bone contacted the smaller tom through their comm unit, "Did you catch him?"

"You're gonna hate me," Razor regrettably began, "but unfortunately he got away."

Razor looked over the ledge and examined the neighboring buildings, in hopes of even a flash of a tail caught in the moonlight. Absolutely nothing remained. As if the thief vanished out of thin air.

XxXx

Once returned back to the alley where a motorcycle was hidden, the thief leaned against a brick wall. Shaking from pure adrenaline, gloved hands struggled slightly in attempts to remove the helmet. Once free, the thief's young feminine face basked within the cool breeze of the night. Wild short curly hair stuck out in a frenzy; which given any other circumstance, the young kat would have fretted over, yet she could care less about the state of her unruly mane. A giggle bubbled out of the thief's lips before gut splitting laughter doubled her body over.

If only her father could see her now.

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 _A/N: I think we all need more cat puns in our lives. Thank you for stopping by!_


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